


The Flame of a Match

by Nukey



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M, Gen, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-04 17:57:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5343227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nukey/pseuds/Nukey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Human life was fleeting. For centuries, this fact was as clear to Sesshomaru as any other, and because of this, he despised them. The small lights of their meaningless existences were but matches, whereas his was like the sun. They were miserable, sniveling miscreants reeking of fear that thought themselves much more important than they really were in the grand scheme of things."</p>
<p>A series of drabbles mostly from Sesshomaru's perspective about his travels and relationship with Rin.</p>
<p>(A note, there will be NO underage/lolicon sex in this fic.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The New Ward

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I've written in a while, inspired by me re-watching Inuyasha and then watching The Final Act for the first time. I absolutely adore Sesshomaru and I think he's so cute with Rin.
> 
> This fic will likely end after I get through all that was covered in both series, then I'll (hopefully) have the nerve to write some post-canon stuff because grown!Rin/Sesshomaru is one of my favourite pairings.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, but boy if I did...

Human life was fleeting. For centuries, this fact was as clear to Sesshomaru as any other, and because of this, he despised them. The small lights of their meaningless existences were but matches, whereas his was like the sun. They were miserable, sniveling miscreants reeking of fear that thought themselves much more important than they really were in the grand scheme of things.

Yes... The daiyokai held a strong aversion towards them for quite some time. That is... Until he happened upon a young human girl. Or rather, she happened upon him.

It was after one of many battles with Inuyasha over their father's heirloom, Tetsusaiga. Sesshoumaru had been saved by the sword he so despised and was sulking after once again being bested by that pitiful hanyo. He had actually lost consciousness due to the blow from the Wind Scar and was startled when he woke that he had underestimated and could have, potentially, been slain by the attack. Nearby, he could smell the stench of fear and human sweat. That was when the girl showed herself.

Normally, the daiyokai wouldn't pay any sort of reaction to a creature so weak, but... She had caught him in a particularly foul mood. He growled at her, and despite that, she had later returned with offerings of water and food. The fear had dissipated quite a bit since he had first bared his fangs to her. This intrigued him. Surely this small girl knew he could kill her in the blink of an eye, and yet she was attempting to tend to him, as if she could do anything were he actually seriously injured. She went out of her way and risked her well-being in her quest to assist him, despite his cool behaviour towards her.

After the girl had, to his knowledge, been mauled by wolves on her way to see him again, he had revived her on a whim. She chose to follow after that, and he said little. For many weeks, she didn't speak, only trailing behind them and doing her best to keep up. It was odd, and the daiyokai didn't know why, but he found himself slowing his usual pace in attempt to make it easier for her to follow. Still, even at this slowed pace, it seemed she consistently fell behind more and more often. She was tired; her feet smelled of blood. He could hear her stomach grumbling, but yet she wouldn't speak. She never once complained or attempted to make them stop so she could eat or find something to drink.

Her movements wer sluggish, and he could tell each step she took caused her poor, blistered feet and sore muscles to ache even more. They had walked for almost two days at this time before he finally stopped in a clearing by a stream. He had told Jaken to collect water for the girl while he would find something suitable for her to eat. Much to his chagrin, when he returned with a small boar, the girl was curled up and asleep, nestled into A-Un's side and he was left to listen to the small green imp's complaints about their slowed pace and their uncalled for rest break.

This, of course, was cut short by a swift (yet careful) blow to Jaken's head to quiet him. Next was to build a fire. As he recalled, humans didn't eat raw meat. He had never 'cooked' before, but he supposed that the child best get some food in her long-empty system when she woke. The smell of the cooking boar had roused her and she beamed up at him in silent thanks.

Never before had he gone out of his way to help anyone, and yet here he was practically bending to the needs of this... child. Sesshomaru couldn't understand his actions, but he didn't take much time thinking introspectively to examine them properly. Instead, he let his eyes sink closed, doing his best to ignore the child's presence which so assaulted his senses. She desperately needed to bathe, and an entirely new yukata was in order. The current one still smelled of her blood and was sure to attract something at some point. He made a note to see to getting her something once she went back to sleep. He supposed they would camp there for the night.

It seemed that the girl had finished eating because he was pulled from his thoughts by her scent growing closer. The girl boldly (though, her actions were tentative in execution) approached him and settled to his left side, fidgeting with the torn sleeve of her tattered kimono. He could hear small noises being made in the back of her throat and his eyes opened and then lazily slid down to examine her as she practically squirmed at his side.

This action had Jaken all the more riled up, ranting and outraged on Sesshomaru's behalf that the girl had the nerve to approach him and sit so close to the great Lord Sesshomaru.

"Jaken," he said, sensing the growing disease in the girl the more Jaken spoke. The imp immediately grew quiet at being scolded. The inu yokai turned his gaze down to the human beside him. "In the morning, you will bathe. Jaken will assist you. We will see about getting you new robes." he informed her, eyeing Jaken harshly when he attempted to interject with a complaint.

"You needn't speak if you don't want to, but in the future, if you require rest, communicate that properly," he added, a gentleness to his usual tone that he didn't realise was there until after he spoke to her. The girl smiled up at him. That same, beaming smile she'd given him when he had inquired about the bruises on her face. He felt something within him stir and was unable to name the feeling in his chest. It made him uncomfortable. The girl ended up falling asleep next to him, eventually sinking down to lay her head against the likely uncomfortable cuirass around his torso, clinging to the empty sleeve of his kimono like a security blanket...


	2. Vocalisation and Gifts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two ho! I already had a few chapters of this fic finished, so I decided I ought to post the next ones... BUT, I ended up combining two and three because both were pretty short!
> 
> Enjoy!

When Rin finally found her voice, Sesshomaru was surprised to find he didn't regret that she had. Her voice was light and airy. It seemed she was perfectly content to follow him wherever it was he went, either walking or riding on the newly-saddled back of A-Un. Every couple of days, the trio would stop to camp, allowing Rin stable and uninterrupted sleep, as well as a good dinner and a chance to bathe herself (with Jaken's help, of course). Sesshomaru couldn't help but notice how skinny she was. Certainly not close to death by any means, but... She seemed much more slender than any other humans he'd seen that were in good health. Despite this fact, she seemed to radiate happiness always. Jaken's nagging no longer bothered her, and, to the inu's amusement, the girl had taken to even teasing him in retaliation sometimes.

Now that Rin had begun talking, Sesshomaru had felt more comfortable leaving her. Now that he knew she would cry out if she were in danger, and that he would (hopefully) hear her, it was easier for him to move. Though he never showed it, Sesshomaru grew restless very easily and bemoaned having to stay in one place for long. He traveled the lands he inherited from his father, despite having a very comfortable place of dwelling near the western-most portion of his territory.

Yes, now that he felt it was reasonably safe, Sesshomaru had taken to leaving Rin in Jaken's care more often, though he rarely strayed far. If he left while they were traveling, it was to do a perimeter sweep and he typically was back shortly after. Few knew that the inu yokai did this out of a growing desire to protect. He wasn't sure why this desire to protect had arisen, but he had no desire to examine it much. Jaken noticed this change as well, but had chalked it up to his Lord being impatient and tiring of moving so slowly. Because of this, when the imp thought the daiyokai was out of earshot, he would sometimes scold Rin for slowing them all down.

"If you can't speed up, you should just go home!" he'd chirp angrily, following by muttering any number of things about not understanding why his Lord would keep such a messy, uncouth, slow, and weak creature with them.

Once the daiyokai heard the human girl retort with a soft "But you are uncouth and weak also, Master Jaken..." Had he been anyone else, Sesshomaru may have smiled at that. Instead he only gave a soft 'hm' and continued his scan of the area as Jaken began attempting to assert that those were false observations.

\---

One thing he never understood was Rin's need to give him things. He needed nothing that she could offer, and yet she would go out of her way to collect extra berries for him when picking for herself, or to collect mushrooms for the three of them. She'd even taken to collecting flowers. He had no use for any of these things, but he never rejected any gifts. It seemed to please her for him to accept, and so accept he did with most, but occasionally he would "entrust" them to Jaken instead of storing them in the pocket of his barren kimono sleeve. Whenever either yokai was sure the girl wasn't paying attention, they would quietly dispose of her gifts, as Sesshomaru had demonstrated for Jaken to avoid a faux pas and upsetting the girl.

Whenever they would stop, she would take the time to thoroughly "explore" the immediate vicinity of the area. One time in particular, she had found a very shiny and very smooth stone. It was one of the first gifts she'd found for Sesshomaru.

"Milord! Rin found a gift for you!" she'd said cheerfully, skittering up to him and with both hands behind her back, shielding the object from his view.

Sesshomaru, who had been sitting at the base of a large tree with his eyes closed, listening and smelling the area around them for any threat, slowly opened his eyes and looked over at the girl before him, who seemed to be bouncing with anticipation of giving him his new present. 

"Rin!" came Jaken's reprimand. "Lord Sesshomaru has no need for your gifts! What will a great demon such as he have use for anything a human could provide!? Oi! Rin!" It was one time of many that Rin had ignored the little yokai in favour of focusing only on Sesshomaru.

"What is it?" he asked softly, inclining his head ever so slightly in amusement as the girl cracked out a grin and tugged her hands from behind her back. His gaze left her face and shifted to the flat, round object held on her open palms. It wasn't especially large, but it seemed so in her small hands.

"It made Rin think of you because it's cool and elegant and pretty!" she chirped, taking a few tentative steps towards the daiyokai and shoving her hands in his direction to signal him to take it.

There was a beat of pause as Sesshomaru stared down at the stone. It didn't really remind him of himself in any way, but he presumed the girl meant her statements as flattering. When he took it, it was warm from her hands. He could practically feel the warmth of happiness radiating off of her as she came and settled herself down right beside him. He noticed she always sat on his left side.

"Thank you," she murmured softly so that only he could hear. His brows rose involuntarily at the sight of the girl leaning in toward him and giving him a gentle hug before hastily tugging herself back. "For looking after Rin. And for being kind to Rin and for taking Rin's gifts!" She stood then, clasping her hands behind her back and looking him in the eyes for a moment before averting her gaze. "Rin knows that you throw them all away, but it makes her happy when you accept them."

Just like that, this human had surprised him more times in the span of only a few weeks than anyone really had in his long life. He hadn't realised she had caught on to his disposing of her flowers and other gifts. His fist clenched around the stone. He thought that perhaps he ought to say something, but couldn't think of any words. Before he had the chance, the girl had her arms extended to either side while she balanced on one foot and did a hop-spin to turn away from him before trotting off.

He tucked the black stone into his kimono. Perhaps not _all_ of her gifts were meaningless after all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please review/comment/kudo/etc if you've the time. I appreciate all of those!
> 
> And, of course, there are more works of this train of thought to be explored, so we kindly ask that you stay tuned!


	3. Recollection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sesshomaru overhears Jaken ask Rin why, exactly, she chooses to follow them instead of living with her own kind.
> 
> WARNING: In this chapter there are HINTS of sexual abuse happening in the past to Rin Nothing detailed in the slightest. Just a hint that the bandits that killed her family did 'something'. Please, if that is something that will bother you, skip it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu Chapter requested by Fanfictionreader. I thought it was a really neat idea!

Ever since he allowed Rin to follow him, Sesshomaru often found himself pondering leaving the girl behind in a human village, that she may grow with her own kind and be happier. For quite some time, he himself had no knowledge of why she followed him. He didn't provide warmth that he observed between other humans. He was, typically, distant and aloof. They rarely even made physical contact, which was something he knew humans craved.

Part of him worried that she felt she had no other choice but to follow him; she had no family and the village in which she had previously resided was destroyed by wolves. Surely that was why. She was afraid to go back to that place...

This theory was quickly squashed when, one night after his near-daily perimeter scouts of their camp, he overheard Rin and Jaken talking. He didn't know what started the conversation, but he stayed out of sight (and out of Jaken's hearing and scent range) as to not be detected.

"Foolish girl! Why do you so persistently follow us? You must know that you'll never belong among demons! Your constantly being vulnerable to attack is causing much trouble for Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken started. Sesshomaru couldn't see it, but he could practically smell the sadness that radiated off of Rin at that. It was rare for the girl to allow Jaken to bother her... Could she be falling ill again?

"Why don't you just go home! With humans where you _belong_?" Jaken finally asked and Sesshomaru could hear the shuffling of leaves and grass beneath Rin as she shifted uncomfortably.

"Everyone always says that demons are terrible monsters," Rin started, her voice taking on a melancholy tone that, had Sesshomaru not really known it was Rin, might have had him fooled that someone else was speaking.

"But they don't pay attention to the way that people can be monsters," the small girl continued, her hands gripping the skirt of her yukata. "Humans killed my family-- my mother, father, and brother." There was a pause and Sesshomaru could hear the girl sniff. He felt something in his chest clench, but quickly shoved the sensation away. He couldn't help but feel that her words were important; that he needed to hear them, regardless of if she wanted him to or not.

This poor child had always an air of warmth and what he deemed to be naive happiness; it was easy to forget that she'd seen so many brutal displays of violence. She was resilient in a way that the daiyokai hadn't known humans could be. While he knew little about humans, he was certain that most would surely be corrupted after experiencing what this ningen had. And yet she was always before him with a heart purer than the fresh snow and warmer than the summer breeze. Had he been less proud, Sesshomaru may admit that he admired her in her strength. But he was not one to openly acknowledge such feats.

"Bandits came and slew them in front of me," she suddenly added, voice thick. He could smell the salt build-up of her eyes welling up with tears. "And then they..." Her breath hitched and she swallowed. She was trembling. The scent of anxiety filled the air. "They didn't kill me, but for a long time, I wished they had," she managed, seeming unable to properly address whatever it was that they had done.

"You were spared and made it out unscathed?" Jaken questioned. It was rare that the imp held genuine curiosity for things not associated with Sesshomaru. 

"They.. Did things," a beat of pause. "Worse than killing me." She swallowed hard. This was a detail that Sesshomaru didn't know. She quickly rushed ahead, determined to get the rest of this story out. She'd been carrying it with her, and for what he thought was a good amount of time, she carried it in silence. It was easy enough for the demon Lord to put the pieces together. This time he couldn't put the tearing sensation in his chest out. He had killed many, this was true... But to... His jaw clenched involuntarily and his fist clenched at his side.

He could hear Rin draw in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Afterward, I couldn't speak. I couldn't tell anyone what happened. They only knew that I was spared." He had never known this girl capable of being so serious in the short time he'd known her. He often found himself wondering if she was capable of seeing the filth and ugliness of the world... He knew now that she certainly did and was even more astonished that she managed to seem so pure and cheerful despite all she'd been through... Perhaps humans were more resilient than he had thought.

"The villagers let me stay in a house on the outside of town. They gave me some ration of rice, but... There was always so little food that I found myself occasionally taking scraps and leftovers from them. It was all I could to to just get by. I was an empty shell in that village. They treated me poorly and I saw hate in their eyes when they looked in my direction. I was hurt in more ways than one and they treated me with such malice," She paused, shifting her position. The way her voice carried now, she could tell she was looking up through the trees at the sky.

"It was like that for a couple of summers before I met Lord Sesshomaru. He looked hurt and I wanted to help him. Everyone always said that demons were scary and killed everyone. The truth is, I wasn't really very afraid of dying. I didn't really _want_ to, but I thought that if Lord Sesshomaru decided to end my life when I tried to tend to him that it would be okay. I had no family, so I had no prospects for a future." There was a bittersweet quality to her voice.

"Though he reacted angrily hen I first encountered him, and then rejected all of the offerings I so painstakingly tried to give, there was something about him that drew me to him. He.. Lord Sesshomaru is so pretty. I just wanted to look at him closer. So I offered him some herbs I picked. I was so close, he could have killed me right there. But he didn't. And then he asked about the injuries I had obtained when trying to catch a fish for him to eat." There was a warmth in her tone now as she recalled the memory. All this time, he thought this girl to be ignorant of many things and yet... It seemed she was more mature than she let on.

"I was so happy. It was the first time anyone had asked about me before. I couldn't find my voice, and he told me it was okay. The villagers-- the _humans_ ," She said the word 'humans' as though it were an obscenity, "Always scolded me for not being able to talk. They beat me when I couldn't answer their questions... But Lord Sesshomaru was accepting and kind to me."

While he appreciated knowing more about Rin, he knew he certainly wasn't really 'kind' to her at the start. He just didn't care to hear her talk if she didn't want to. He was never one to really pry for things he wasn't _especially_ interested in. Sesshomaru noticed that Jaken had been silent for a very long time... The imp was certainly awake but perhaps he, too, was re-evaluating his conclusions about Rin.

"Lord Sesshomaru saved me, even though he didn't have to. And he lets me follow him. He protects me. Rin loves Lord Sesshomaru. And Rin loves A-Un and Master Jaken as well," he finally heard her say. The warmth in her tone was evident and he heard Jaken sputter out in surprise. "This is why Rin wants to stay together with Lord Sesshomaru forever!"

The inu yokai waited a few minutes before returning to his small group. Rin hopped up and greeted him cheerfully as always. She stopped about a metre away from him, smiling up with the fire casting a warm glow over her delicate features. Sesshomaru reached a hand out and placed it on her head. It was the first time he'd gone out of his way to touch her, and she certainly would remember it for the rest of her life. He could feel her beaming with happiness at the contact.

"Rin," he said after tugging his hand away.

"Yes, Milord?" she grinned, popping up on her toes.

"It is late; go to sleep."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru. Goodnight!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this, even if it is very dialogue-heavy. As usual, if you've the time, please don't hesitate to leave a comment, a kudo, or bookmark, or anything! Tell me what you like, tell me what you hate, tell me what you'd like to see!
> 
> Again, there is more to come, so we kindly ask that you stay tuned!


	4. Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The first time Rin fell ill was utterly hectic for all parties involved. Sesshomaru had no idea what to do to care for this sick child that seemed inconsolably needy...."
> 
> Sesshomaru experiences what it means to take care of a sick child.

The first time Rin fell ill was utterly hectic for all parties involved. Sesshoumaru had no idea what to do to care for this sick child that seemed inconsolably needy. He had noticed a change when Rin snapped at Jaken for his usual rantings about her being a nuisance. Never before had Rin ever reacted with irritation to Jaken's harsh words... But she had shouted at him and shoved him and he could smell that she was fighting back tears.

"You are tired," Sesshoumaru had interjected, stopping in his tracks and causing A-un (upon whom Rin was seated atop) to stop in his movements. Jaken had previously also been sitting on the two-headed dragon, but Rin's forceful push had knocked him off. The little imp grumbled angrily on the ground. "We will rest," he added, turning his calculating gaze on Rin. There was something different about her smell, though he wasn't quite sure what it was. He heard her sniffle as she carefully slid off of A-Un's side, landing purposely atop Jaken's torso and then stepping off. The corners of the inu's lips twitched in the ghost of a smile. It was the first time Rin had ever really been cranky.

"Do you need to collect food?" Sesshoumaru had asked. He had been breaking her habit of relying on him to make sure she was fed, albeit slowly. Though Rin talked much more often now, she still hesitated when it came time to ask for breaks for whatever reason. He mused that it may have been due to Jaken's constant scolding her for needing breaks to begin with, though Sesshoumaru knew that the imp enjoyed these brief respites also. Perhaps he was just irritated that the daiyokai had never stopped for him in the past.

"Rin isn't hungry," she murmured, settling down next to A-Un, who had decided to lay in the grass. It was strange. Sesshoumaru tried to recall the last time he'd heard her eating... It was past time for her to be ready to eat again, but he shrugged it off. If she wasn't hungry, then she wasn't hungry. He didn't think to press the matter.

The next couple of days, Sesshoumaru noticed a rapid decrease in her food intake, as well as in her tolerance of Jaken's pestering. At one point, when Sesshoumaru decided to pause for Rin to get a drink and the green yokai had inevitably begun complaining, Rin burst into tears. The daiyokai was... Perplexed, to say the least. He didn't know what had brought about the change in her behaviour.

"Rin," he started after a few moments of watching her curled up on the ground next to A-Un. She tried to quiet herself at his voice, but she still sniffed and hiccupped as she angrily wiped at her eyes.

"I'm sorry, L-lord Sess-shoumaru," she managed through spasms of her diaphragm.

"What is the matter?" He asked, brow furrowing, as he looked down at her flushed face. A weak shrug was her reply and soon after she had stood and began to skulk off towards the stream. He noticed her step was off from normal. The child was heavy on her feet, but her steps seemed clumsy. She wobbled, but she made it to the bank, bent over and began to scoop water from it and up into her mouth.

Sesshoumaru had only looked away for a moment until he heard a telltale splash. Immediately, his gaze snapped back over to Rin, except she wasn't there. He saw her in the shallow water. Thankfully enough, it wasn't a strong enough current to carry her off... He was there in an instant, lifting her up with his one arm and cradling her small, wet form to his mokomoko. She felt abnormally warm.

Narrowing his eyes, he smoothly glided back to A-Un, holding her against him carefully until he reached the dragon and managed to gently set her down. It was mid-day and stopping now would certainly slow them, but if the girl hadn't been adequately rested, he knew it would be best to wait for her to wake.

This happened only a short time later, she woke with a groan, bringing a small hand to her head.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" she questioned groggily. He hopped down from his perch up in a tree not too far from her and turned his gaze down to the girl's resting form.

"I don't feel well," she groaned, rolling over and curling in on herself. The daiyokai came to crouch beside her, scanning her body with his eyes before quietly scenting for anything unusual. He found nothing, save for her raised body temperature and her clammy skin. The girl was ill, no doubt.

But the daiyokai had no idea how to deal with illness-- let alone a _human_ illness... As far as he was aware, humans got over these things on their own most often than not. She just needed rest. And to get proper rest, it would probably be best if they weren't moving for the time being. That meant... They'd be stuck here. For how long, he wasn't sure.

"Jaken," he spoke to get the imp's attention.

"Y-yes, milord?" he responded quickly, having been watching the inuyokai curiously.

"Fetch some water." Though his voice was as calm and confident as ever, Sesshoumaru was uncertain. Jaken hesitated for only a moment before turning and skrittering off towards the stream.

In the later years, he'd muse at how differently his ward behaved when ill-- at least when she was still a child. Normally, she was mostly independent. But over the next several days, she clung to him. She wanted him near her-- wanted to be touching him. Were all human children this needy? He wasn't sure he would be able to accept the ningen as his ward if she behaved like this all the time... 

He was stir-crazy. He felt trapped here, this girl half-laying in his lap in a fitful sleep. She was having one of her nightmares again... The daiyokai always wondered if he should wake her and spare her from what he presumed was her re-living the tragedies in her life in her dreams, but he never did. Instead he would wait until she woke herself. 

It was a few more minutes before her jerking was accompanied by soft groans and whimpers. She awoke with a gasp, a layer of perspiration causing her skin to glisten in the moonlight. Though it was dark, he could tell her eyes were glassy and her face was flushed, vision unfocused as she rapidly glanced around to assess her surroundings. She relaxed when her gaze landed on Sesshoumaru.

It still struck him as odd that she found him, a greater demon that could kill her who was also constantly surrounded by yokai wishing to strike him down for their own glory, to be safe. Rin laid her head down atop her arms folded top his thigh again.

"You're still here," she murmured, eyes falling half-closed. He felt her gripping onto his hakama, her small hands trembling. Sesshoumaru thought that he ought to say something, but speaking gently was not his strong suit. He was articulate, but often not good with comfort.

"Yes," he finally said after a long stretch of pause.

"Rin was scared that Lord Sesshoumaru would leave her behind because of this." Her voice was barely a whisper, and he could smell the anxiety pooling around her. His gaze shifted down to her from looking off to where Jaken was asleep propped up against A-Un. There was another pause. 

"Don't say such foolish things." The gentleness to his tone surprised him, though it still held the regality it normally did. It seemed to surprise Rin also; her head jerked up to look at him through her sleepy, teary-eyed, doe-gaze. She smiled, then. Though the smell of salt stung at his senses, she did not weep now. She hugged onto him and his hand effortlessly came to rest on the back of her head. It seemed natural. It worked. He could perform these secret acts of affection when only she would know, and she could be reassured about whatever it was she needed reassuring.

It wasn't long after that she was back to her normal, bubbly self, hopping around with more energy than Sesshoumaru thought possible for a human to have. They resumed their journey to nowhere.

And then things went on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please don't hesitate to leave kudos/reviews or whatever! I appreciate all of them. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.


End file.
